Episode 39: The History of 40K Part 2

In this episode, we continue our discussion of the history of Warhammer 40k. We talk about the third, fourth and fifth editions of 40k and how the rules, gameplay, art and story evolved through these editions of the game. We also have an interview with Chris Morgan and Paul Murphy of the Forge the Narrative podcast to talk about their own history of 40k.

Fourth edition 40k cover art

Introduction

This is the second in our series of podcasts on the history of Warhammer 40k. This year is the 30th anniversary and we are on the cusp of 8th edition, so we want to explore all the past editions of the game and talk about the rules, the gameplay, the art and the story.

Third Edition

Released in 1998 and written by committee, with Rick Priestly, Andy Chambers, Gavin Thorpe, Ian Pickstock, and Jervis Johnson.

Opens with the phrase “In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war.”

Third edition was the last big change for 40k. It made all the 2nd edition army books obsolete and several armies were not seen again until recently, such as Harlequins and Genestealer cults.